1. Printed sources
The Jacobite risings are widely discussed in general studies of English and Scottish history of the period, and have been the subject of more specialised publications. Before tackling original sources, try:
B Lenman, The Jacobite Risings in Britain 1689-1746 (Methuen, 1980). Gives full references to a wide range of published material
R C Jarvis, Collected Papers on the Jacobite Risings (2 vols, Manchester University Press, 1971-1972). Gives references to unpublished material in The National Archives and elsewhere
R C Jarvis, The Jacobite Risings of 1715 and 1745 (Cumberland County Council, 1954). Extracts from the Lieutenancy and Quarter Sessions records of Cumberland. No parallel study has yet been published for other counties
The Prisoners of the '45, edited by B G Seton and J G Arnot (Scottish History Society, 3rd series, vols XIII-XV, 1928-1929). Contains a tabular analysis of the career and fates of most prisoners, with references to the documents on which the study is based
T B Howell, A Complete Collection of State Trials ... (London, 1816) vols XV and XVIII. These include the trial records of some of the more notable prisoners. Some of the texts are derived from the reports of Sir Michael Foster, one of the trial judges, who himself compiled A Report of Some Proceedings on the Commission for the Trial of the Rebels in the Year 1746 ... (3rd edition, ed. M Dodson, London, 1792).
None of these printed sources exhausts the available manuscript material.
2. Administration and policy
State papers domestic George I (SP 35), state papers domestic George II (SP 36) and state papers Scotland, series II (SP 54) contain much political and military correspondence and other material, including lists of prisoners and papers relating to their trials and fates. SP 54 is particularly fruitful, and has been well listed and indexed. Other series of state papers, especially military (SP 41), naval (SP 42), entry books (SP 44), various (SP 45) and Scotland, letter books (SP 55) contain supplementary information.
3. Finance
For Treasury records relating to the 1715 rising, look at Calendar of Treasury Books Vols. 29-30 (HMSO, 1958 - 1959) and Calendar of Treasury Papers, Vol. 5 (HMSO 1883). For the 1745 rising, look at the Calendar of Treasury Books and Papers, Vol. 5 (HMSO 1903). Other, useful financial records are to be found in the Audit Office Declared Accounts (AO 1).
4. Military and naval campaigns
War Office and, to a lesser extent, Admiralty records contain much information about the campaigns against the risings. The series likely to be most fruitful are: Secretaries of State: state papers foreign, military expeditions (for the duke of Cumberland) (SP 87), War Office, marching orders (WO 5), Secretary of War out-letters (WO 4), departmental out-letters (WO 7) and among Admiralty records, Admiralty and Secretariat, papers (ADM 1) and out-letters (ADM 2).
5. Trials
The records of the Court of King's Bench include, in Baga de Secretis (KB 8), those of some of the treason trials which followed both risings, and in Precedents (KB 33) a diversity of legal records, many relating to the 1745 rising and including draft indictments, some trial transcripts and list of prisoners. The Treasury Solicitor Papers (TS 11) and The 1745 Rebellion Papers (TS 20) are rich in material on the judicial and administrative aspects of proceedings against those captured in 1745 and include trial records, lists of prisoners and papers relating to their backgrounds and fates.
Although trials of prisoners held outside London were heard by Special Commissioners and the routine criminal business of the courts of Assize was largely suspended after each rising, a few documents and entries relating to rebels can be found among the Assize records for the north-eastern circuit (ASSI 41-47) and those of the Palatinates of Chester (CHES 21 and CHES 24), Durham (DURH 17 and DURH 19) and Lancaster (PL 25-28).
6. Forfeitures
The estates of many rebels were forfeit to the Crown. After the 1715 rising, a Forfeited Estates Commission was established: the papers (FEC 1) and books (FEC 2) of the Commissioners for England and Wales are described in The Records of the Forfeited Estates Commission (Public Record Office Handbooks no 12, HMSO 1968). The records of Greenwich Hospital (ADM 74-80) contain many estate and some family records of the Earl of Derwentwater whose lands, after forfeiture, passed to the Hospital. A smaller collection of records, relating to forfeitures after the 1745 rising is in T 64.
7. Scottish Record Office
The records of the Forfeited Estates Commissioners for Scotland, together with many other valuable sources are in the Scottish Record Office. Inquiries should be addressed to the Scottish Record Office, PO Box 36, HM General Register Office, Edinburgh EH1 3YY (0131-556-6585).
8. Local record offices
Records of local proceedings against rebels may be found among those of the Lieutenancy and Clerk of the Peace of the county concerned. The addresses and telephone numbers of local record offices are given in Record repositories in Great Britain: a geographical directory (7th edition, HMSO, 1982).
9. Private collections
The private papers and estate records of politicians, members of the armed forces, local officials and landowners can provide useful detail. Information about such collections may be obtained from National Register of Archives and the National Register of Archives (Scotland).
